Companies with mature talent-management systems outperform other companies. It’s not enough to focus on talent; to be successful, companies must integrate talent management into their business processes.
It is easy to think of talent management as something that happens within HR that is separate from ongoing operations, but this can’t be the case if you’re seeking to move your company to greater success.
An organization will not achieve the desired level of employee performance if talent-management processes do not operate as a cohesive whole, according to research by J. Stephen Heinen and Colleen O’Neill.
The good thing is that with advancements in technologies and systems today, developing an integrated talent management company is becoming easier. However, many companies still struggle in this area. And it is still difficult to understand specifics and get processes working efficiently.
What is integrated talent management?
You know that talent management is about finding, maintaining and developing the right people for your organization, but what defines an integrated approach?
An integrated approach is a comprehensive set of human resource functions that share a common architecture or language and are organized to complement and reinforce one another. Processes have a common interface, data platform, workflow, and cross-process reporting and analytics.
The importance of integrated talent management
If you don’t integrate your systems, it becomes much harder to identify high performing employees, workforce gaps and risks. With a unified plan, you will save time and resources, instead of solving each problem individually.
The goal is to have a system that seamlessly connect skills and competencies, learning objectives, performance and succession planning data, employee development plans, training metrics, and financial tracking information. An integrated system insures data integrity and sound decision making.
If talent management functions as a silo, companies waste time and money; they compromise on the quality of their talent; their employee engagement deteriorates; and, ultimately, their business performance suffers.
Here are some benefits to integrated talent management systems:
- streamlined decision making;
- access to information that is direct, current, and relevant;
- less time spent per manager per review period;
- better employee engagement;
- increased productivity;
- individual, team, departmental, and organisational goals that are closely aligned; and
- employees who are more engaged, creating external perceptions of the organisation being a great place to work, which in turn contributes to attraction of new employees.
Tips for creating integrated talent management
Developing integrated talent management for your company will not be easy and it will take a lot of time. And, before starting this process you will need to assess your current processes to determine you starting point.
Here are some elements needed for an integrated talent management approach to be effective:
- Active participation by senior executives;
- Alignment of the program with the strategic directions of the organization;
- Accountability for the program at the director and supervisory level;
- Effective departmental HR management and supports;
- Employee input, engagement, and participation;
- Continuous evaluation, monitoring, and improvement efforts; and
- Effective organizational communication of the program.
It is important for leaders to develop integrated talent management. The good news is that holistic systems are becoming easier to achieve with advanced and less expensive systems.
If you have any questions about talent management, let me know.
Photo Credit: Flickr user aloshbennett
